Resilient heel



May 26, 1925. 1,539,320

. E. I. LA CHAPELLE RESILIENT HEEL Filed May: 24, 1924 Patented May 26, 1925.

- UNITED STATES I 1,539,320 PATENT OFFICE.

EUCLID I. LA CHAPELLE, OF BROCKTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

BESILIEN'I HEEL.

Application filed May 24, 1924. Serial No. 715,615.

ing drawings, is av specification.

My present invention relates to a novel construction in resilient heels, such as commonly termed rubber heels.

The term base as applied to resilient heels, occurring in the specification and claims, is to be interpreted so as to include that portion of a resilient heel from the usual washers, wherever embedded in such heels, extending tothe surface of the base of such heels, as indicated in Fig. 2; the term heel to include the term half heel; the term shoe to include the term boot; and, in the case of resilient heels already attached to resilient soles, the heel part of the sole is to be considered then as forming a part of the heel-base.

In attaching a rubber heel to a shoe at the heeling operation a serious difficulty is encountered in properly setting the base of the heel to the heel-seat of the shoe, as the fastening, then in the form of a nail, is not and can not be driven to the extent required for compressing the rubber and thereby firmly setting and holding in set condition the base of the heel to the heelseat of the shoe, because the fastening, engaging the usual washer, located on the top of the base portion of such heels, would, if driven to the required extent, cause the washer to move and compress the rubber and, under the effect of such movement and compression, the edge of the heel would curl up from the heel-seat of the shoe or would disadvantageously, expand over the marginal portion of the heel-seat of the shoe. To avoid such a defective condition at the heeling operation, the fastening has heretofore been driven only to a slight extent against the washer and, generally speaking, cement is relied upon to set and hold the heel-base firmly to the heel-seat of the shoe in conjunction with the usual eight nails applied at the heeling operation.

Under a well known form of preparation of rubber heels for the heeling operation proper, consisting in securing the surface of the heel-base and in then cementing thereto the heel-lift, as distinguished fro-m another well known form of preparation consisting in nailing the heel-lift to the shoe prior to attaching the rubber heel to the shoe, a machine, adapted to the driving of cord, has been introduced in at least one shoe factory to attach rubber heels (half heels) to heel-lifts preparatory to the heelmg operation and without the necessity of cement and, therefore, without the need of securing the base surface of the heel. Other expedients for eliminating the use of cement and sequentially the preparatory scouring operation have been proposed from time to time, such as providing, in the making of rubber heels, of a rand-like projection extending around the top marginal portion of the hee-el-base in view of causing the edge of the heel to set close to the heel-seat of the shoe even if the fastenings should be driven to the extent of disturbing the edge of the heel relatively to the heel-seat of the shoe; and again, in providing wood to 'form the heel-base portion of rubber heels so that the nails could be driven solidly against the heel-base; but, sofar as I am aware, no expedient for the elimination of cement has ever been adopted for use in the general run of a shoe factory.

It is believed that by the adoption of my herein disclosed invention, the heeling operation could be properly performed in the general run of a shoe factory, without the need of any cement or other attaching agent, by placingthe heel-lift on the heelseat of the shoe and then the heel over the heel-lift and inserting the usual eight nails.

It is to be appreciated that my inventionis greatly advantageous under any circumstances, and notably in causing a firm and positive setting of the heel to the heel-seat of the shoe during the entire time of wear, but my invention aims further toward making possible the performance of the heeling operation proper in the general run of a shoe factory without the need of cement or of any preparatory operation and with better results than ever before possible.

My invention, in its broadest aspect, consists in constructing the base portion of a resilient heel weaker along the fastening line than the remainder of the base portion to obtain thereby the required amount of resiliency for heeling properly without disadvantageously' disturbing the heel relatively to the heel-seat of the shoe.

As shown in the drawings,

Fig. 1, shows a plan viewof the base portion of a resilient heel embodying my invention.

Fig. 2, shows a cross-section taken on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3, shows a cross-section of the re silient heel shown in Fig. has attached to a shoe shown on a last.

In the drawings, 1, represents the resilient heel (more specifically stated, the resilient half heel/ which form of resilient heel I choose to illustrate as such is being 'used more extensively than the whole heel form) and 2, represents the base portion of the resilient heel. The said resilient heel is pro vided with the usual nail holes 3, which, as usual in such heels, extend to about three quarters of the thickness, and, near the ends of the nail holes, the usual washers 4, are embedded in the heel. I provide the novel recesses 5, in the base of the heel and I position the same in substantial alignment to the nail washers 4. In attaching to a shoe a resilient heel embodying my invention, the

nails 6, are driven in the usual manner by machine or by hand, but when the heads of the nails contact with the washers additional driving force is applied so as to-compress the base of the heel only, as distinguished from the usual practice, and into the recesses 5, and preferably far enough for contact with the heel-lift 8, of the shoe 9, where it is permanently held by the nails passing through the innersole 10, and clinching against the heel plate 11, of the last 12.

The resiliency of the heel-base within the recesses acts as a binder against the fasten-- ings (see Fig. 3) and thus the entire heelbase, including the extreme edge thereof, is forced toward the heel-seat of the shoe even during the time of wear.

The recesses may be of any suitable form, size or depth, and, in the case of a whole heel where the base surface is usually concaved, the position of the recesses, relatively to the top plane surface of the heel, could then be accordingly on a slant, but I, preferably, would position the recesses substantially on a plane level with the top plane surface of the heel in. all cases, and such recesses may be formed in aresilient heel.

bodying the same in the best form now known to me, what I claim as new and desire.

to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A resilient heel having a base portion, a top p0rtion, and an intermediate body portion having a plurality of washers embedded therein and also having a plurality of lines of fastenings arranged coaxial with the embedded washers, said base portion being weaker on the lines of fastenings than the top portion on the lines of fastenings, whereby the weaker portions only vof the base ortion are moved towards the shoe, to wlnch the heel is applied, under the influence of the driving home of the fastenings against the washers, to thereby convert the base portion into a lane surface and force the plane surface rmly against the shoe without affecting the top portion.

2. A resilient heel having a base portion, a top portion, and an intermediate body por tion having a lurality of washers embedded therein and a so having a plurality of lines of fastenings arranged coaxial with. the embedded washers, said base portion having a recess on each line of fastening to weaken the base portion on the lines of fastenings with relation to the top portion on the lines of fastenings, whereby the recesses only, along the lines of fastenings will be moved towards the shoe, to which the heel is applied, under the influence of the driving home of the fastenings against the washers, to thereby convert the base portion into a plane surface and force the plane surface firmly against the shoe without affecting the top portion.

3. A resilient heel having recesses in the face that is to be unexposed when applied to a shoe, and having nail holes in the face that is to be exposed when applied to a shoe. each of said nail holes extending towards each of said recesses, and washers embedded in the body portion of the heel, each Washer being arranged coaxial with each of said nail holes intermediate the lengths thereof, whereby both of said faces remain unchanged during the application of the heel to the shoe except that the recesses disappear.

In testimony whereof I have signed m'v name to this specification. v

EUGLIDI. LA CHA PELLE. 

